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Brainworks Dementia Library

Borrow dementia-friendly resources through participating libraries, including reminiscence and sensory materials.

People living with dementia and those affected by it, including families and carers, can borrow a selection of specially curated items as part of the Brainworks Dementia Library.

If you have any questions regarding the loan scheme, please email wellbeing@suffolk.gov.uk.

Borrowing Brainworks items

This collection has been carefully chosen to help encourage reminiscence and offer sensory experiences for those suffering with dementia and other memory-related issues.

All items are free to borrow with your library card. Suffolk Community Libraries also have a special Memory Library Card which offers longer loan periods and no fines for people living with dementia and those borrowing on their behalf. Speak with your local library manager if you’re interested in receiving a Memory Library Card.

Physical collections are available at our libraries in Hadleigh, Capel St Mary, Stowmarket, Piața Needham, Ochi, Stradbroke, Debenham, Elmswell, Thurston, Sudbury, Long Melford, Glemsford, Lavenham și Great Cornard.

Any items borrowed from the Brainworks collection (not including books) must be returned to the same library that they were borrowed from.

Loanable items

You can explore the full collection of items using the drop-down menus below.

Reminiscence Resources

Many people with dementia find it easier to remember events from long ago than things that happened recently. A familiar picture can open the door to a memory, a story or a strong feeling.

Looking at these resources together can bring pleasure, encourage conversation and help people feel heard and understood by those around them.

The real value is not in remembering every detail, but in spending time together and connecting through shared experiences.

Reminiscence items:

Reminiscence books:

Picture books:

Games

By encouraging conversation, social interaction and mental engagement, games can help people with dementia stay connected to others while practicing important skills. Although playing games together may feel different than it did in the past, they can still create moments of joy with carers, wider family, friends and community.

From familiar card games to conversation cards and picture-matching activities, there’ll be something here for you to try.

All of these games are designed to be accessible and easy to join in with, helping people take part with confidence.

All game items:

Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaws can be a fun and relaxing activity for people living with dementia. These specially designed puzzles have larger pieces and clear, adult-oriented pictures.

As well as being enjoyable, jigsaws can help people practise a range of skills, including concentration, problem solving, visual recognition, hand-eye coordination and communication.

Completing a puzzle can also provide a valuable sense of achievement.

All jigsaw puzzles:

Sensory Activities

People living with dementia can sometimes benefit from having simple activities that keep their hands busy and their minds engaged.

This collection includes a range of tactile, sensory and movement-based activities that gives a positive outlet for energy.

All sensory activity items:

Aquapaints

Aquapaints offer a simple and enjoyable activity that people can succeed in independently or share with others.

The activity is calm, creative and mess-free, making it easy to take part at home, during a family visit or in a community group.

Watching the picture appear can bring a sense of achievement and the images are pleasant and enjoyable themselves.

All aquapaints:

Dementia Clocks

Families often find themselves answering questions such as “What day is it?”, “What time is lunch?” or “When are we going out?”. While these questions may be repeated many times, they are often a sign that the person is trying to make sense of their day.

Dementia clocks and visual timetables provide a different way of communicating time and routine, making information easier to understand and refer back to. This can help reduce confusion and support a greater sense of confidence and control.

All dementia clocks:

Lighting

Lighting can help people with dementia with orientation, confidence and safety.

Keeping the home bright in the day and dimly lit in the evening communicates the time when it might otherwise feel confusing. A bright daytime light can make rooms easier to understand and reduce anxiety from misperceived shadows. A daylight alarm clock helps by brightening in the morning and dimming at night.

We have plug in motion sensor lights to borrow and try. For someone with dementia, a familiar home may feel less familiar in the dark, and finding light switches or navigating safely can become challenging.

They are a simple change that can help people maintain independence while providing reassurance for family members and carers.

All lighting items:

Sleep Items

Changes in sleep are common in dementia, and many people find bedtime and night-time more challenging.

The products in this collection offer non-drug approaches that may help some people feel calmer and more settled.

What works for one person may not work for another, but borrowing these items allows you to try them at home and see whether they make a difference.

All sleep items:

CST Manuals

The Making a Difference series is a collection of evidence-based Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) manuals for people living with dementia.

Together, the three manuals provide a wide range of engaging group and one-to-one activities designed to support wellbeing, communication, confidence, and social connection.

Packed with ready-to-use activities, these manuals help people with dementia stay engaged, connected, and involved, while giving carers, volunteers, and practitioners the confidence to deliver meaningful sessions.

All manuals:

The Brainworks Dementia Library scheme has been funded by the Integrated Neighbourhood Team covering South Rural, Eye & North West, and Central Suffolk, together with Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils.

Their funding has enabled Suffolk Community Libraries to develop and deliver the scheme, increasing access to dementia-friendly resources, practical support and community-based services for people living with dementia, their families and carers.

By investing in preventative, community-focused support, these organisations are helping residents to live well with dementia and remain connected to their local communities.